The present invention pertains to componentized wall and support systems, and more particularly to a novel slat and support system for the fabrication of wall structures, display panels and the like.
It is common in offices and retail establishments to secure shelves and their supports, as well as various other articles, accessories and devices to walls and panel systems in order to position various items within easy reach and/or sight of the user or customer, and there are also a variety of componentized wall and panel systems by which both temporary and permanent wall-like structures may be readily set up and put in place to divide larger areas into desired work spaces, etc. Some such wall systems incorporate various means for supporting shelves and the like on or in conjunction with the wall portions, to provide greater usefulness and flexibility
Prior artisans have fashioned wall and panel systems in which a plurality of slats have been arranged in rows such that the slats collectively define recesses adapted to mount various support members (e.g., shelves, racks, hangers and the like). Typically, such support members are provided with L-shaped flanges which cooperate with the recesses in order to securely hold the support members in place on the wall or panel Hence, the mounting of shelves, etc. is performed in an easy and efficient manner, without the use of screws or the like.
Nevertheless, the systems developed heretofore have consisted of a complicated and comparatively expensive construction, as well as a complicated process of fabrication, and/or they have lacked the structural strength desired. Most past systems of the slat wall type have used wood slats, and these are frequently weak and require expensive wood-working fabrication Whether of wood or metal, most prior slat wall systems also require comparatively slow and expensive assembly, such as by welding or bolting each individual slat to a backing member, as is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,450,970 (Shepherd), 3,172,540 (Berge), and 4,579,308 (Jensen). Moreover, many of the prior systems include no overlapping of the slats and are thereby severely limited in their holding capabilities; that is, the amount of weight they can support.